Does Gastroparesis progress from moderate to severe?

Hi babciesgrandson:
Gastroparesis hit me in 2004. I had no idea what happened and thought I had a flu bug. That flu bug didn't go away, and trips to my gastroenterologist provided no information about what was going on. He didn't share what he knew, nor did he share what I needed to do.
YES, it gets worse. In 2016 I was sent for the test and I have severe gastroparesis. While laying there watching my stomach on camera, it took 90 minutes for the first tiny piece to break off from the contents they had me eat prior to the test. It should have taken under 30 minutes to be completely gone!!!
Where you go from here depends strictly upon you. Gastroparesis CAUSES LEAKY GUT SYNDROME. You have to recognize your diet and what isn't digesting and eat very little if any of that food. The best thing to do just learning you have it would be to eat protein smoothies and let your stomach and digestive system heal and rest.
Eat small meals, lighten up on the amount of fiber in your diet, AND NEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO GET FULL. I don't know if you have ever had a gastroparesis attack, but they are no fun, and after going through 32 hours of labor, I can tell you a gastroparesis attack is worse. Different strokes for different folks, so what I can eat that doesn't digest and what you can eat that doesn't digest will be different. The best advice given is to listen to your body and learn to understand when a food isn't something it can no longer handle.
The pain across the upper abdomen feeling like you did too many sit-ups is the first warning. That is your stomach in spasms.
I use a lot of ground chicken in my cooking and I eat much smaller portions then I used to. Feeling empty instead of full is so welcome because I know that was a good choice. Eating small meals 5-8 times a day. NEVER eating after 6p.m. because it CAN'T digest before you go to bed and that leads to interrupted sleep.
Leaky gut, pushes toxins into your blood stream, and for whatever reasons gastroenterologists may tell you that you have it, but they don't tell you why or what to do, unless it is to push a pill.
Be good to your body. Give your digestive system a rest when it needs one. There are some great protein smoothies you can make and I love the frozen ones. We need the protein to feed our muscles and keep them strong. I use coconut protein powder or egg white protein powder to get away from all those additives and artificial stuff. Learn to watch the ingredients in everything you eat or drink because some of those ingredients can be culprits for slowed digestion.
Gastroparesis was something no one knew much about when I first started having issues. Today it is going to be highly recognized rapidly because from what I hear and read the weight loss shots and diabetes itself, are causing gastroparesis. I had neither, but I constantly ate more then my stomach could handle when I loved the food, and when you stay full too long your body can't handle what you are doing to it.

I didn't have a problem w/ my gastroparesis until I had fundoplication.

There are medications to help the stomach empty, and a GI doc should be familiar with them.

I don't think Gastroparesis (GP) gets worse for everyone and how quickly it might (if it does) would likely differ from person to person. Look up Crystal Saterelli website (Living Well with Gastroparesis). She has a blog, several YouTube videos a quick guide to eating (for free, you download it), a couple of cookbooks and she also has an in depth program for only $87 that offers tons of info. Also, keep in mind, what one person can/cannot eat may be different than you. You might be able to get into Mayo if your GP is severe enough. Stanford has a good program if you are on the West coast. Cleveland Clinic is another option of course. Also, a good source is to just go to YouTube and enter GP and several videos will come up. Look for the creditable ones like UCLA Health, UCSF, Gastro Girl, Northwestern Medicine). Of course, avoid the any of the videos which offer cures, quick fixes, mega doses of supplements etc. Hope this helps.

Can you tell me what brands of coconut protein powder and egg white protein powder you've used? I need to get more protein but have difficulty with other types of protein powders due to numerous other health problems.

Hi Skim3737,
I use Carrington Farms Organic Protein Blend, which is my favorite, because there is no overpowering flavor to it and only 3 ingredients in it. Organic coconut powder, organic pumpkin powder, and organic pea powder. Two scoops per serving = 20 grams of protein. I usually mix mine in frozen blueberries, and add some tart cherry juice, and sometimes a banana or apple. When you add ice this is real thick and you eat it with a spoon because it doesn't go through a straw. I used to get this at Walmart, but haven't been able to find it in the store. I found it online but to get the $11 bag they want you to subscribe now. I went to Amazon and get it there now.
My egg protein, I just realized is no longer just the egg whites, that got so darned expensive I switched and forgot. This is Designer Wellness Egg Dutch Chocolate. I see in comments where many like the vanilla better. This is made with the egg white and the yolk, cocoa and Non GMO Lecithin. It does have Stevia in it. Two scoops is 24 grams of protein. This product is 120 calories per serving and the Coconut Protein is 130 per serving. I love peanut butter, so I add peanut butter and ice to the chocolate egg protein, and again, get a very thick smoothy, so I can still feel like I am eating instead of drinking through a straw. The Designer is more expensive @ $20 a bag, but both products are pretty clean, and I'd rather they leave the Stevia out of the Egg protein. The chocolate is about $10 less then the vanilla egg protein (Designer).
You can let you imagination run wild. I add a banana and instant coffee to the chocolate one and with ice it's like having a frozen mocha frappe, only thicker.
I add peanut butter to the Coconut powder too, with Lactaid Milk, because I can no longer digest regular milk, and do it with or without ice. Hope this helps.

This is all very interesting. I think my mom may have this. Most of the time after she eats, she regrets it. She’s seen gastroenterologist before, but I don’t think she got this diagnosis.

I had a friend who was diagnosed with it and she had type 1 diabetes. After not seeing her for several years, I contacted her and she said she was doing great. She had surgery and had recovered. I wonder how that works.

Gastroparesis can fluctuate from mild to severe depending on symptoms. There are several medications that can help. I may not be up to date on current treatments but there was also gastric stimulator implants for severe cases. I was diagnosed back in 2005 and have had a few major flareups where I was on liquids only or hospitalized with IVs only for several weeks at a time. I took Erythromycin as needed for years when a flare-up was bad it has gastric motility benefits and didn’t pursue stronger meds. Managing thru diet is extremely important and each one of us has different triggers or things we can tolerate. Keeping yourself hydrated is really important. Look for nutritional liquids you can tolerate, I drink diluted V8 peach mango, in flare ups I get boost breeze also diluted with small amounts mixed with water, etc.

I found the following links very helpful. Crystal Saltrelli’s website Living Well with Gastroparesis and books have a lot of great information, I highly recommend checking them out. She gives a lot of tips on foods and nutrition and battles with it herself, it started her on her journey to be a nutrionist. The other link below is to a Jackson Gastroenterology site I found years ago. They show a three tiered dietary approach, the concept is very helpful and what I follow in my daily life. If symptoms start to flare I step down from level 3 diet to level 2 and if it continues I step down to level 1 and as things settle I work my way between the levels.

Keep a food diary also very important to identify your triggers and what you can tolerate with less discomfort. This can be such a challenging and frustrating journey but hang in there. There is hope and support.
https://www.livingwellwithgastroparesis.com/
https://www.gicare.com/diets/gastroparesis-diet-for-delayed-stomach-emptying/

@celia16
I have never heard of a surgery for gastroparesis, and I am still seeing a gastroenterologist every year just to learn if there is anything new. I'm wondering if the surgery she had was something pertaining to her diabetes??
At one time my PA sent me to University of Michigan to see if anything else was offered there. I saw that doctor once and never went back because I don't want to take part in an experiment. They wanted to put shots of Botox in my stomach, which I can see how that could definitely stop the spasms in the stomach when I ate something my stomach didn't like getting, BUT, my question of how would that help my stomach to digest the food I'm eating if the stomach muscles are numb, went unanswered. I did not stop at the desk to set up any future appointments on my way out the door. I have a slew of sensitivities and allergies to medications and when I asked if there was a way of testing to see if I had either to Botox, he simply told me I wouldn't have.